Carbon Electra 2 – VST3/AU/AAX – Musical Synth with Wave Terrain Oscillators
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hurricaneaudiolab hurricaneaudiolab https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=424432 - KVRist
- 440 posts since 15 Aug, 2018
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 7 posts since 9 Jun, 2022
Just to explain the Carbon Electra 1 preset compatibility question.
We did look at this carefully and it was something we battled with during development. In the end, to make Carbon Electra 2 the instrument we wanted it to be, with the new sound engine, Wave Terrain oscillators, Scale Lock, musical filter, diatonic sequencing and all the new routing/modulation, it required a proper rewrite from the ground up.
I still love the sound of the original Carbon Electra. It has a certain character and crunch that people liked, but technology and our own product philosophy have moved on a lot in the last decade. Carbon Electra 2 is much deeper, cleaner, more flexible and capable of a lot more musically.
The design philosophy is still connected to the original: easy to use, quick to create with, powerful, and fun. But beyond that, CE2 is really a different instrument.
The Wave Terrain oscillators, Scale Lock and diatonic sequencer in particular make it a very different experience, and I genuinely think it is a lovely synth to work with.
I’d encourage anyone unsure to try the free trial or check out the walkthroughs on YouTube. I’m really proud of where Carbon Electra 2 has landed.
We did look at this carefully and it was something we battled with during development. In the end, to make Carbon Electra 2 the instrument we wanted it to be, with the new sound engine, Wave Terrain oscillators, Scale Lock, musical filter, diatonic sequencing and all the new routing/modulation, it required a proper rewrite from the ground up.
I still love the sound of the original Carbon Electra. It has a certain character and crunch that people liked, but technology and our own product philosophy have moved on a lot in the last decade. Carbon Electra 2 is much deeper, cleaner, more flexible and capable of a lot more musically.
The design philosophy is still connected to the original: easy to use, quick to create with, powerful, and fun. But beyond that, CE2 is really a different instrument.
The Wave Terrain oscillators, Scale Lock and diatonic sequencer in particular make it a very different experience, and I genuinely think it is a lovely synth to work with.
I’d encourage anyone unsure to try the free trial or check out the walkthroughs on YouTube. I’m really proud of where Carbon Electra 2 has landed.
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- KVRist
- 43 posts since 26 Mar, 2011 from Deutschland
Congratulations on the upgrade and thanks for explaining! I see there are quite many nice additions like the Wave Terrain oscillator. Still the classic oscillators are available as well. Surely most elements can be mapped somehow. Like for example, if the filter cutoff ranges are now a bit different, this could be scaled. If there is something that can't be mapped 1:1 because of different parameters there is surely still at least something close to it (e.g. the delay has less parameters now).davidec wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2026 9:33 am Just to explain the Carbon Electra 1 preset compatibility question.
We did look at this carefully and it was something we battled with during development. In the end, to make Carbon Electra 2 the instrument we wanted it to be, with the new sound engine, Wave Terrain oscillators, Scale Lock, musical filter, diatonic sequencing and all the new routing/modulation, it required a proper rewrite from the ground up.
I still love the sound of the original Carbon Electra. It has a certain character and crunch that people liked, but technology and our own product philosophy have moved on a lot in the last decade. Carbon Electra 2 is much deeper, cleaner, more flexible and capable of a lot more musically.
The design philosophy is still connected to the original: easy to use, quick to create with, powerful, and fun. But beyond that, CE2 is really a different instrument.
The Wave Terrain oscillators, Scale Lock and diatonic sequencer in particular make it a very different experience, and I genuinely think it is a lovely synth to work with.
I’d encourage anyone unsure to try the free trial or check out the walkthroughs on YouTube. I’m really proud of where Carbon Electra 2 has landed.
IMO selling a huge palette of preset packs and letting the customer throw them away after the upgrade leaves quite a bad taste and is not in line with todays sustainability expectations.
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- KVRAF
- 1572 posts since 21 Nov, 2018
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- KVRian
- 1478 posts since 2 Mar, 2005
Is there anyone having problems with audio dropouts in Carbon Electra 2? Every time I play a chord there are random audio dropouts. This is regardless of the polyphony or my audio buffer size. I sent a support ticket to Scaler Music already but just wondering if anyone else has been having the same problems.
I read more than post = I listen more than I talk
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hurricaneaudiolab hurricaneaudiolab https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=424432
- KVRist
- 440 posts since 15 Aug, 2018
This is a very nice sounding synth - can sound super crisp, clean, and modern but also does the retro thing very well. The "simple" layout can get you going with some nice sounds very quickly. I appreciate the oscillator pan knobs. Wish it had more than 8 voices....unless I am wrong, but I think that's what I read. Playing a 3 note chord with the right hand and a single bass note with the left hand and I'm getting some notes dropping out with unison enabled.
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- KVRAF
- 3384 posts since 25 Apr, 2011
There is a feature request threads on their own forum. I have requested some stuff, including the 8 extra voices, as well. Be good for them to hear from more usershurricaneaudiolab wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 2:31 pm This is a very nice sounding synth - can sound super crisp, clean, and modern but also does the retro thing very well. The "simple" layout can get you going with some nice sounds very quickly. I appreciate the oscillator pan knobs. Wish it had more than 8 voices....unless I am wrong, but I think that's what I read. Playing a 3 note chord with the right hand and a single bass note with the left hand and I'm getting some notes dropping out with unison enabled.
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- KVRian
- 849 posts since 11 Mar, 2010
Oh, right, thank you! Kinda stupid site, honestly. They may be losing potential customers this way.woodsdenis wrote: Sun May 31, 2026 3:51 pmYou need to have a Scaler account and you will find all the demos there, not obvious at all. Only CC payment aswell
About CE2, I really like the sound and the features (it reminds me a lot U-he Hive), but I found the factory presets pretty plain and boring.
And (the main offender for me) it's a CPU hog! Is it just me? Why nobody is talking about it?
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- KVRAF
- 9542 posts since 6 Jan, 2017 from Outer Space
No MPE in 2026 ???
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- KVRer
- 17 posts since 7 Mar, 2008
So you don’t like to program your own sounds?
[/quote]
I just modify presets a little here and there to suit my requirements.
I have many VSTs with more than 50,000 preset sounds, you have little time to create one. When not satisfied, jump to another type VST to experiment.
A never ending story.
Further,
when people make own presets they do not sound anything special.
There is always one similar in the factory presets.
I have always appreciated factory made presets to something anyone who create themselves. You get the best out of factory presets from the developer.
There are only a handful of people who make good presets and they work for every developer.
Regards.
[/quote]
I just modify presets a little here and there to suit my requirements.
I have many VSTs with more than 50,000 preset sounds, you have little time to create one. When not satisfied, jump to another type VST to experiment.
A never ending story.
Further,
when people make own presets they do not sound anything special.
There is always one similar in the factory presets.
I have always appreciated factory made presets to something anyone who create themselves. You get the best out of factory presets from the developer.
There are only a handful of people who make good presets and they work for every developer.
Regards.
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- KVRAF
- 3384 posts since 25 Apr, 2011
That's a bold statementsuseka2003 wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2026 10:45 am
Further,
when people make own presets they do not sound anything special.
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- KVRer
- 17 posts since 7 Mar, 2008
But the happiness of a DIY preset remains there 
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- KVRist
- 471 posts since 26 Jun, 2024
Well, one can make presets that sound like nothing special on their own but can fit the arrangement or instrumentation you’re working on just perfectly.
Or.. one can make a preset that sounds absolutely bonkers and unlike anything with lots going on but will not fit any current work-in -progress arrangement ever.. (but can maybe form something that an entire song is based on).
Horses for courses.
There’s an application for everything. I enjoy both methods and can enjoy a complex preset in it’s own right. But when looking for something specific that perfectly fits my arrangement I am faster whipping it up myself.
Hell.. I have made presets in Serum 2 that I just don’t know what else to add to and can play on loop with the clip player as a mini song in and of itself.
Going by Suseka’s statement about number of presets required I just gathered they do not program synths (or do not like to).
Or.. one can make a preset that sounds absolutely bonkers and unlike anything with lots going on but will not fit any current work-in -progress arrangement ever.. (but can maybe form something that an entire song is based on).
Horses for courses.
There’s an application for everything. I enjoy both methods and can enjoy a complex preset in it’s own right. But when looking for something specific that perfectly fits my arrangement I am faster whipping it up myself.
Hell.. I have made presets in Serum 2 that I just don’t know what else to add to and can play on loop with the clip player as a mini song in and of itself.
Going by Suseka’s statement about number of presets required I just gathered they do not program synths (or do not like to).